Best Man
by Narilka
Summary: I do not own or claim to own xxxHOLiC...drat! XD Sequal to Helping Hand Supposed to be funny... keyword "supposed"...


Watanuki was walking home from Yuuko's shop. The pipe fox had greeted him with the usual opening volley of kisses. After he shimmied up Watanuki's shirt sleeve which resulted in a fit of giggling contortions. So, it was no surprise when the pipe fox snuck out of the shop to ride coiled around his neck. It was a very pretty day and Yuuko was out of town for a few days so he didn't mind. As far as he was concerned it didn't get much better than that.

"Watanuki!" He was pulled from his musings by the cheerful greeting.

"Himawari-chan!" Watanuki greeted with hands clasped together and sparkles abounding.

"Watanuki, I'm so happy for you!" Himawari exclaimed surprising him with a hug.

"H-Himawari-chan?" He stuttered completely floored.

"I wanted to be the first one to congratulate you!" Himawari beamed absolutely radiant.

"…um… congratu-" Watanuki stared to ask only to be cut off.

"I've got to go!" Himawari gasped checking her watch. "I'll see you at school tomorrow!"

Watanuki could only return her parting wave wondering what on Earth she was talking about. The pipe fox looked after her also confused.

"I wonder why she wanted to congratulate me." He said to the pipe fox.

The pipe fox gave him a kiss and retreated into his collar.

Watanuki was officially stumped. Today he met with what he liked to call "The Archery Team Support Unit" or TATSU for short, which basically consisted of everyone that was dating a member of the Archery Team. He still hadn't figured out why Himawari was congratulating him. Imagine his surprise when he was, basically, mobbed by his fellow TATSU members. For at least thirty minutes, he received well wishes, good natured thumps on the shoulder, congratulations, and even a few hugs.

What the hell was going on? Before he even had a chance to speak the meeting dispersed and he was left with even more questions. Granted, his life had always been strange, but this was just crazy!

Watanuki was frozen. At this point his mind had handed in its letter of resignation and flown to Jamaica for the foreseeable future.

"Well?" The stoic archer prompted.

Watanuki open and closed his mouth several times, but for once in his life words had failed him. There strung across the school gate was a giant banner that read "Marry me, Kimihiro Watanuki?" Watanuki blinked owlishly and made an effort to collect his scattered thoughts.

"…um…" Watanuki coughed into his hand trying form coherent thoughts. "… is that why Himawari hugged me?"

Doumeki blinked. That wasn't the response he was hoping for. "It could be."

"… Doumeki…" Damn. Nothing good ever happened when Kimihiro used his last name. "I would have… _preferred_… a less public forum."

He hadn't gone into a fit yet, so maybe…

"And you're _supposed_ to get down on one knee!" Watanuki pointed at him accusingly. "In a _romantic_ setting! Not throw up a banner at school! You might as well spray paint it on an overpass! You're just lucky I love you or I wouldn't be marrying you!"

And there it was Doumeki sighed as Watanuki stormed off. Wait. Did he say something about marrying me?

Yuuko's shop

"Watanuki's here!" "Watanuki's here!" Mora and Moru greeted him with their usual exuberance.

"Mora, Moru, do you know how I can get a hold of Yuuko?" Watanuki asked as they trailed behind him to the kitchen.

Then phone began to ring. "The mistress is calling." "The mistress is calling."

Watanuki turned too fast and almost fell down trying to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Watanuki, I hear congratulations are in order." Yuuko drawled in that sly tone.

"Yuuko!" Watanuki hesitated biting his lip.

"What is it, Watanuki?" Yuuko asked sobered by his tone.

Watanuki felt himself blush as he asked. "Yuuko, I was wondering… if you would stand with me at my wedding…"

The phone was silent. For the first time in many, many years Yuuko, The Dimensional Witch, was stunned… and humbled.

"I… would like that Watanuki." Yuuko's voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"Thanks Yuuko…" Watanuki said with equal softness.

A few days later

"Yuuko do you know how I can contact the Zashiki-Warashi and the Ame-Warashi?" Watanuki asked as he neatly served her the sake.

"Thinking of inviting them to the wedding?" Yuuko asked sipping her sake with relish.

"How do you do that?" Watanuki cried clinging to the serving tray with one hand and pointing at her with the other.

"Do you really want me to answer that Watanuki?" Yuuko asked with that foxy look.

"No." Watanuki shook his head making an X with his arms.

"I could pass on the message, for a price." Yuuko said slyly. "The price will be an open bar at the wedding!"

"Yeah! An open bar!" Black Mokona cheered already flushed from the alcohol.

Watanuki sighed knowing it was better to just go along with them.

Wedding

Watanuki rushed around the room trying to dress as quickly as possible. Damn that florist! The idiot had somehow managed to kill all the flower arrangements in a single night. So, naturally, Watanuki had to spend six hours looking for a replacement that didn't want to rob them blind _and_ fill the order in a few hours' time. So here he was scrambling into the kimono Yuuko had picked out for him. Which was surprisingly modest and accentuated his eyes.

Not that he should be surprised. This is Yuuko we're talking about. There's no telling how long she's been planning this.

"Watanuki are you dressed yet?" Yuuko opened the door to see Watanuki hoping around on one foot while trying to put his shoe on the other.

"Got it!" Watanuki crowed triumphantly.

Yuuko helped him smooth out the wrinkles. "You better hurry or Doumeki might come looking for you."

"I would have been ready on time if he had helped me with the florist." Watanuki grumbled on the way out.

~  
Ceremony

Watanuki took his place across from Doumeki. He spotted the Ame-Warashi and the Zashiki-Warashi sitting on his side. The fox from the Fox Made Stew cart and his son were there as well. All of the TATSU was sitting on his side while all the actual team members were on Doumeki's. What really surprised him was Himawari standing beside Doumeki. Watanuki zoned in and recited his vows, exchanged rings, and with a huge blush on his face accepted a kiss from Doumeki.

Reception

"I asked Himawari to be my best man." Doumeki told since he noticed Watanuki's questioning look earlier that evening.

"Best man?" Watanuki echoed with a frown. "Wait a minute! Are you saying I'm the _bride_?"

"No." Doumeki said emphatically before his husband could go off on a rant. "I know you are not a girl. I asked Himawari to stand by me like a best man would because she gave me the idea to ask you to move in with me."

"Oh." Watanuki said placated. "Well, I guess Yuuko was kind of like the Maid of Honor then."

"Isn't that usually the bride's mother?" Doumeki asked. Then quickly amended. "Not that you're a bride."

Watanuki shrugged temper appeased. "Yuuko kind of is like a mother to me and I don't have any family so…"

"Kimihiro." Doumeki wrapped an arm around him.

Watanuki blushed scarlet. "um… Shizuka?"

"Your mother figure is dancing on the bar." Doumeki said pointing.

Watanuki's eyes widen like saucers. Sure enough, there was Yuuko turning circles on the bar with the Ame-Warashi. The Zashiki-Warashi was as red with embarrassment as he could feel himself becoming.

"Why me?" Watanuki groaned hiding his face in his hand.

"Yuuko-san is sure having fun." Himawari observed with contented smile.

"I'll go get her." Watanuki muttered walking slumped over with waterfalls of tears pouring down his face.

"It was a beautiful ceremony Doumeki." Himawari commented as they watched Watanuki try to talk Yuuko down.

"Yeah." Doumeki smiled when Yuuko tried to drag the protesting spirit seer onto the table. "Excuse me; I have to go save my husband."

"Are you a friend of Doumeki's?" One of the boys from the Archery team asked her.

"I'm friends with both of them actually." Himawari told him.

"That's nice. I was surprised to see that Doumeki's best man was such a pretty girl." The boy confided to her.

Himawari blushed at the compliment. "Thank you."

Doumeki looked up when Watanuki nudged him.

"Shizuka, look." He inclined his head toward their table.

Doumeki saw Himawari talking to his team mate Setsuna.

"Aww…" Yuuko cooed drunkenly. "They look so cute together. I hope there's an open bar at the wedding!"

"Open bar! Open bar!" Black Mokona sang turning circles with a sake bottle in ear paw.

"Yuuko!" Watanuki grumbled. "You don't need any more alcohol!"

"Shush boy!" Yuuko slurred. "It's time to dance!"

She tried to drag him onto the bar again.

"If you don't mind." Doumeki pulled Watanuki free. "Kimihiro promised me this dance."

"I did?" Watanuki blushed a little as Doumeki lead him onto the floor. "Shizuka… thanks…"

"For what?" Doumeki asked curiously.

"For putting up with my crazy family." Watanuki answered with a smile.


End file.
